I am not big on sappy romance, but love historical romance when the history has an important presence in the story. This is exactly what I got with Keturah by Lisa Tawn Bergren, a beautifully written historical romance about women of strength in the 18th century.

Lady Keturah Tomlinson, a recent widow, and the oldest of Lord Banning’s three girls, has just received word of her father’s passing, on the Caribbean island of Nevis, where he was overseeing the running of the sugar plantation, Table Top, which provides the wealth for his family. She soon learns that the plantation’s sugar crop has been declining in recent years and that her father has mortgaged the plantation, as well as her family home in England, on a gamble to revive it. If she wishes to save all she has ever known, and provide for her sisters, she must get to Nevis, hire an overseer, and get the next harvest is the ground as quickly as possible. It may sound simple, but for a woman in the 18thcentury practically impossible.

As chance would have it, her childhood friend Gray Covington is also headed to Nevis. He has a small inheritance and plans to use it to revive his family’s own small acreage on Nevis. He is asked by a friend of Lord Banning’s to watch over the Banning girls and provide assistance as best he can. He quickly discovers that Lady Keturah is headstrong and does not trust or want anything to do with him or any other man for that matter. He will have to earn her trust quickly if he is to honor his promise and help her save Table Top.

What made me want to read this book is the setting of the story. I love the Caribbean and have been all over it, including St. Kitts and Nevis. The Caribbean islands are dotted with the remnants of sugar plantations and both English and French forts. Therefore, I was delighted to find that Ms. Bergren accounts where true to the period. In addition, the reality of slavery and women’s rights of the period are never easy subjects to write or read about, yet her story was truthful without being degrading. Keturah is, in short, a thoughtful written fictional account of life on the islands during that time.

While the main story line is the relationship between Keturah and Gray, the subplots worked well with the whole and added more depth to the overall work. Given that the book is at heart a romance, there is not a lot of action; nevertheless, there is enough intrigue and suspense to keep the reader wanting to turn the pages. There is a religious element to the story but it is subtle and not in any way off-putting.

I recommend Keturah to readers of romance and historical fiction both. It is a well done historical fiction and well worth adding to your TBR list.

As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner is a poignant story about a young family who moves from a small town in Pennsylvania to Philadelphia to begin a new, and hopefully better, life after the death of their youngest child. The story is told from four points of view, Pauline Bright and her three daughters, Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa.

When Thomas Bright’s Uncle, a permanent bachelor, asks him to move to Philadelphia to learn and take over his funeral pallor business, Tom sees it as a chance to lift his family out of poverty. With much hope, the family relocates and starts their new life. As everyone settles in to their new home in Philadelphia, the Great War in Europe is raging and the United States enters the conflict and Tom is called to serve his country. Not long after, the Spanish Flu makes it way to North America and to the city the Bright’s now call home.

Pauline begs her parents to let them return to Quakertown until the flu has passed. They refuse her, because they fear she will bring the flu with her and give it to her sister’s new born. Forced to stay, Pauline watches as the number of dead from the flu arrive at the funeral parlor in staggering numbers. She is careful to keep her mouth covered and those of the children. Yet as careful as she is, tragedy strikes the Bright family and Willa, the youngest, is the first to fall ill. Then just as she turns the corner toward recover, Pauline becomes ill too. Pauline fought hard against the flu in little Willa and she has no reserves left to fight her own battle with this enemy. In the end she succumbs and not long after their Uncle dies too.

Amidst all the tragedy, Tom and the girls open their home and their hearts to an orphaned boy. How can they not, when the city is now full of children that have lost their parents to the flu epidemic? Little do they realize that this one selfless decision will give them the hope and courage they will need to face the future.

As Bright as Heaven is an elegantly written, well researched, historical fiction. Ms. Meissner, knows how to write a story that pulls at your heart strings. The characters are portrayed with a realism and authenticity that is hard to find. The story flowed so nicely and the end came much too quickly. So quickly in fact, that it felt a little rushed. That aside, it is well worth reading. I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and women’s fiction.

This is the second part of this author's novel 'Worthy of Love' story from the sequel 'Journey to Love.' I found it indeed intriguing in seeing how one person could cause so much trouble just because well not waning to spoil it I will say you will just have to pick up this novel to see how much interference that this one person made of this situation. I really felt sorry for the person but it does look like at the end...well there will be some changes made. This was one good read that this author gives the readers that will keep you turning the pages to see what is coming next. I will say I was a little surprise in the way the story ended but it was all good! Thank you to the author for another good read that was well written with some very interesting characters.

This was one quite interesting story that will keep you turning the pages to see what was coming next. It was definitely a story where Dr. Drew Nichols did get on my nerves with his stubbornness a few times in the way he handled things with Alexa Monroe. Yes, there were many ups and down but aren't there in many relationships...especially with they are a bi-racial couple. However, all in all the story did come out come out giving the reader a well written story that was entertaining and funny. I did feel that this story was somewhat predictable but still a good read. One thing for sure these characters loved to eat. To check out what all that is about you will have to pick up 'The Wedding Date' and see for yourself how well this author brings out this story of a interracial relationship where 'love wan't part of the deal.'

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

In Book 7 "Mine" was about Phoebe Rose and that wonderful Quentin Davidson. Those protective Rose brothers were quite the men when it came to protecting their baby sister Phoebe. Will these brothers let a friendship get in their way of this situation? With Quentin having quite a reputation with the ladies...will he be willing to change his ways for Miss Phoebe? Well, to see how well this author brings it out to the reader you will have to pick up "Mine" to find out and see if Phoebe and Quentin will finally get this situation all worked out to find their HEA.

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